As if compelled by some unseen force, Reid extended his hand. The life force flowing into the blood mist continuously replenished the crystal coffin, and the girl inside began absorbing his energy.
As the transfer neared completion, her eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes deep, piercing blue.
Amid the astonished stares of everyone present, the girl pushed back the coffin lid and leapt confidently into Reid's arms. Her embrace was warm and sincere, her voice soft yet unwavering.
"This is my choice."
Reid froze. "We just met. Only a few seconds have passed. You're going too far."
Perona glanced at Reid, with his dark hair and red eyes, then at the white-haired girl with red eyes.
Floating in the air, Perona tilted her head, her face twisting in confusion as if double-checking. "Lord Reid… is this your daughter?"
Tesoro adjusted his glasses. "Captain, when did you… no wonder you needed the whole ship to bring her aboard. A princess really does enjoy that kind of privilege."
"Shut up, all of you! Don't get cocky! I don't even know her!" Reid shouted at his crew, then looked down at the girl still clinging tightly to him. "Who are you? How can you draw my life force?"
Seeing that Reid didn't remember her, the girl didn't get angry. Instead, she rose gracefully, brushing back her silvery hair with five fingers, revealing a dazzling smile.
"Hello, everyone. Please forgive me, I just woke up and don't remember everyone's names. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Vette," she said, emphasizing the "tte" in her name and winking. "Oh~ 'Vette' is my surname, not that I'm claiming to be Reid's daughter."
"That's a strange name. With a two-character name like that, shouldn't 'Wei' be your surname?" Reid retorted without mercy.
Her playful action immediately eased the tension. Meanwhile, Enel wore an expression that clearly said, "Who cares?"
"Mm~"
Vette touched her flat stomach with a faintly apologetic look. "Everyone, I'm sorry. I haven't eaten in a long time. My stomach's a little hungry. Could you give me something to eat?"
Her gaze swept across everyone before settling on Tesoro. "All decked in golden attire, wearing a wedding ring on your ring finger. I heard the Golden Emperor's ship always has the finest wine and desserts?"
Tesoro raised an eyebrow. "How did you know "
"I guessed," Vette interrupted with a smile, turning to Moria. "Tall, pale, with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability that must be Mr. Moria. And the one next to him must be little Perona, right?"
Moria nodded. Then she bowed to Enel. "Mr. Enel, thank you for bringing this city back to life."
Little Perona flew over to Vette. "Do you know me?"
"I've only heard about you. This is the first time I've seen you. You're quite a cute little girl."
"Thank you, beautiful sister! Here~ some marshmallows~"
Reid narrowed his eyes, blood mist slowly swirling around him. "You know every one of us."
"You didn't tell me, did you?" Vette naturally took a marshmallow from Perona, nibbling it gently. "Mm~ just as sweet as I imagined. I hope to join the Reid crew and set out on the next adventure with you. What do you think, Captain?"
Her gaze met Reid's openly, her red eyes harboring an unspoken affection, yet maintaining the perfect distance. Her enigmatic demeanor felt both familiar and strange to him.
"I refuse," Reid said coldly.
Vette didn't get angry, only sighed softly. "Same as always." She reached out her hand, then pulled it back. "It's fine. I'll prove my worth."
Just as she was about to continue speaking, cracks appeared along Reid's arm.
Vette's face changed. She hurriedly took two steps back. "Sorry, I seem to have touched on something I shouldn't have."
The fissures healed visibly before their eyes. Everyone exchanged glances; this strange phenomenon was clearly related to Vette.
Tesoro adjusted his glasses. "Seems like you're hiding quite a few secrets, Miss."
Vette playfully performed a small curtsy. "Everyone has a past they'd rather not speak of, right?" She looked at Reid, her eyes gentle but resolute. "But rest assured, I would never harm you."
Now Reid could be completely certain: she was absolutely his creation. She spoke of the past, but there was no way it could shake him. "Time, have you gone mad!"
"All right, all right, don't frown," Vette said with a grin. "I know you hate feeling out of control. But I can tell you I'm older than all of you, much older."
Reid felt this person was especially mischievous. Don't be fooled by her polite gestures and demeanor; this is just my intuition. She's definitely a trickster. That was the unreliable instinct of Shate.
Reid stared at Vette for a long time, finally scratching his head in irritation. "Tch, suit yourself. But don't expect any special treatment from me."
"Wonderful!" Vette clapped her hands excitedly, eyes curved like crescents. "I'll be a good crew member~"
Reid confirmed, without a doubt. She was definitely a mischievous troublemaker.
Thus, Vette temporarily joined the Reid crew. Onboard, her behavior was both familiar and alien, a contradiction that made Reid uneasy.
The Moon's energy had been fully replenished by Enel, restoring the ancient city of Bilka to life.
According to Vette, this batch of power reserves could keep the city running for at least ten years. The little robots cheered and called Enel the "Thunder God Thor" who granted them new life. They circled him incessantly, which annoyed him greatly.
"This god doesn't have time to play with you!" Enel kicked away a small robot clutching his leg, yet the robot didn't let go, tears streaming with joy. "The god boss kicked me! This is a blessing from the god!"
"Wow~"
Enel: "…"
These little ones could have charged from the city walls into battle, but instead, they formed neat lines at specific times and locations every day, begging him to strike, much like fans chasing an idol.
Though Enel complained aloud, why did he always fail to hide the smile on his face whenever he released electricity?
"Receive the blessings of the god!"
"Yes! God Boss!"
Enel clearly enjoyed being worshipped. No wonder he later established his own "Enel Legion" and similar organizations here.